战争与和平(上)-第139章

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Officious　hands；　Russian　and　French；　were　instantaneously　ready　to　support　it；　to　fasten　it　to　his　uniform。
Lazarev　looked　darkly　at　the　little　man　with　white　hands　who　was　doing　something　to　him；　and　still　standing　rigidly；　presenting　arms；　he　looked　again　straight　into　Alexander’s　face；　as　though　he　were　asking　him：　“Was　he　to　go　on　standing　there；　or　was　it　his　pleasure　for　him　to　go　now；　or　perhaps　to　do　something　else？”　But　no　order　was　given　him；　and　he　remained　for　a　good　while　still　in　the　same　rigid　position。
The　Emperors　mounted　their　horses　and　rode　away。　The　Preobrazhensky　battalion　broke　up；　and；　mingling　with　the　French　guards；　sat　down　to　the　tables　prepared　for　them。
Lazarev　was　put　in　the　place　of　honour。　French　and　Russian　officers　embraced　him；　congratulated　him；　and　shook　hands　with　him。　Crowds　of　officers　and　common　people　flocked　up　simply　to　look　at　Lazarev。　There　was　a　continual　hum　of　laughter　and　French　and　Russian　chatter　round　the　tables　in　the　square。　Two　officers　with　flushed　faces　passed　by　Rostov；　looking　cheerful　and　happy。
“What　do　you　say　to　the　banquet；　my　boy？　All　served　on　silver；”　one　was　saying。　“Seen　Lazarev？”
“Yes。”
“They　say　the　Preobrazhenskies　are　to　give　them　a　dinner　tomorrow。”
“I　say；　what　luck　for　Lazarev！　Twelve　hundred　francs　pension　for　life。”
“Here’s　a　cap；　lads！”　cried　a　Preobrazhensky　soldier；　putting　on　a　French　soldier’s　fur　cap。
“It’s　awfully　nice；　first…rate！”
“Have　you　heard　the　watchword？”　said　an　officer　of　the　guards　to　another。　“The　day　before　yesterday　it　was　‘Napoléon；　France；　bravoure’；　to…day　it’s　‘Alexandre；　Russie；　grandeur。”　One　day　our　Emperor　gives　it；　and　next　day　Napoleon。　To…morrow　the　Emperor　is　to　send　the　St。　George　to　the　bravest　of　the　French　guards。　Can’t　be　helped！　Must　respond　in　the　same　way。”
Boris；　with　his　comrade　Zhilinsky；　had　come　too　to　look　at　the　banquet。　On　his　way　back　Boris　noticed　Rostov；　who　was　standing　at　the　corner　of　a　house。　“Rostov！　good　day；　we　haven’t　seen　each　other；”　he　said；　and　could　not　refrain　from　asking　him　what　was　the　matter；　so　strangely　gloomy　and　troubled　was　the　face　of　Rostov。
“Nothing；　nothing；”　answered　Rostov。
“Are　you　coming　in？”
“Yes。”
Rostov　stood　a　long　while　in　the　corner；　looking　at　the　fête　from　a　distance。　His　brain　was　seething　in　an　agonising　confusion；　which　he　could　not　work　out　to　any　conclusion。　Horrible　doubts　were　stirring　in　his　soul。　He　thought　of　Denisov　with　his　changed　expression；　his　submission；　and　all　the　hospital　with　torn…off　legs　and　arms；　with　the　filth　and　disease。　So　vividly　he　recalled　that　hospital　smell　of　corpse　that　he　looked　round　to　ascertain　where　the　stench　came　from。　Then　he　thought　of　that　self…satisfied　Bonaparte；　with　his　white　hands—treated　now　with　cordiality　and　respect　by　the　Emperor　Alexander。　For　what；　then；　had　those　legs　and　arms　been　torn　off；　those　men　been　killed？　Then　he　thought　of　Lazarev　rewarded；　and　Denisov　punished　and　unpardoned。　He　caught　himself　in　such　strange　reflections　that　he　was　terrified　at　them。
Hunger　and　the　savoury　smell　of　the　Preobrazhensky　dinner　roused　him　from　this　mood；　he　must　get　something　to　eat　before　going　away。　He　went　to　an　hotel　which　he　had　seen　in　the　morning。　In　the　hotel　he　found　such　a　crowd　of　people；　and　of　officers　who　had　come；　as　he　had；　in　civilian　dress；　that　he　had　difficulty　in　getting　dinner。　Two　officers　of　his　own　division　joined　him　at　table。　The　conversation　naturally　turned　on　the　peace。　The　two　officers；　Rostov’s　comrades；　like　the　greater　part　of　the　army；　were　not　satisfied　with　the　peace　concluded　after　Friedland。　They　said　that　had　they　kept　on　a　little　longer　it　would　have　meant　Napoleon’s　downfall；　that　his　troops　had　neither　provisions　nor　ammunition。　Nikolay　ate　in　silence　and　drank　heavily。　He　finished　two　bottles　of　wine　by　himself。　The　inward　ferment　working　within　him　still　fretted　him；　and　found　no　solution。　He　dreaded　giving　himself　up　to　his　thoughts；　and　could　not　get　away　from　them。　All　of　a　sudden；　on　one　of　the　officers　saying　that　it　was　humiliating　to　look　at　the　French；　Rostov　began　shouting　with　a　violence　that　was　quite　unprovoked；　and　consequently　greatly　astounded　the　officers。
“And　how　can　you　judge　what　would　be　best！”　he　shouted；　with　his　face　suddenly　suffused　with　a　rush　of　blood。　“How　can　you　judge　of　the　action　of　the　Emperor？　What　right　have　we　to　criticise　him？　We　cannot　comprehend　the　aims　or　the　actions　of　the　Emperor！”
“But　I　didn’t　say　a　word　about　the　Emperor；”　the　officer　said　in　justification　of　himself；　unable　to　put　any　other　interpretation　on　Rostov’s　violence　than　that　he　was　drunk。
But　Rostov　did　not　heed　him。
“We　are　not　diplomatic　clerks；　we　are　soldiers；　and　nothing　more；”　he　went　on。　“Command　us　to　die—then　we　die。　And　if　we　are　punished；　it　follows　we’re　in　fault；　it’s　not　for　us　to　judge。　If　it’s　his　majesty　the　Emperor’s　pleasure　to　recognise　Bonaparte　as　emperor；　and　to　conclude　an　alliance　with　him；　then　it　must　be　the　right　thing。　If　we　were　once　to　begin　criticising　and　reasoning　about　everything；　nothing　would　be　left　holy　to　us。　In　that　way　we　shall　be　saying　there　is　no　God；　nothing；”　cried　Nikolay；　bringing　his　fist　down　on　the　table。　His　remarks　seemed　utterly　irrelevant　to　his　companions；　but　followed　quite　consistently　from　the　train　of　his　own　ideas。　“It’s　our　business　to　do　our　duty；　to　hack　them　to　pieces；　and　not　to　think；　that’s　all　about　it；”　he　shouted。
“And　to　drink；”　put　in　one　of　the　officers；　who　had　no　desire　to　quarrel。
“Yes；　and　to　drink；”　assented　Nikolay。　“Hi；　you　there！　Another　bottle！”　he　roared。


Part　Six
Chapter　1
IN　THE　year　1808　the　Emperor　Alexander　visited　Erfurt　for　another　interview　with　the　Emperor　Napoleon；　and　in　the　highest　Petersburg　society　a　great　deal　was　said　of　the　great　significance　of　this　meeting。
In　1809　the　amity　between　the　two　sovereigns　of　the　world；　as　Napoleon　and　Alexander　used　to　be　called；　had　become　so　close　that　when　Napoleon　declared　war　that　year　with　Austria；　a　Russian　corps　crossed　the　frontier　to　co…operate　with　their　old　enemy　Bonaparte　against　their　old　ally；　the　Austrian　Emperor；　so　close　that　in　the　highest　society　there　was　talk　of　a　possible　marriage　between　Napoleon　and　one　of　the　sisters　of　the　Emperor　Alexander。　But；　apart　from　foreign　policy；　the　attention　of　Russian　society　was　at　that　time　drawn　with　special　interest　to　the　internal　changes　taking　place　in　all　departments　of　the　government。
Life　meanwhile；　the　actual　life　of　men　with　their　real　interests　of　health　and　sickness；　labour　and　rest；　with　their　interests　of　thought；　science；　poetry；　music；　love；　affection；　hatred；　passion；　went　its　way；　as　always；　independently；　apart　from　the　political　amity　or　enmity　of　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　and　apart　from　all　possible　reforms。
Prince　Andrey　had　spent　two　years　without　a　break　in　the　country。　All　those　projects　which　Pierre　had　attempted　on　his　estates；　and　changing　continually　from　one　enterprise　to　another；　had　never　carried　out　to　any　real　result—all　those　projects　had　been　carried　out　by　Prince　Andrey　without　display　to　any　one　and　without　any　perceptible　exertion。　He　possessed　in　the　highest　degree　the　quality　Pierre　lacked；　that　practical　tenacity　which；　without　fuss　or　any　great　effort　on　his　part；　set　things　in　working　order。
On　one　estate　of　his；　three　hundred　serfs　were　transformed　into　free　cultivators　（it　was　one　of　the　first　examples　in　Russia）；　in　others　forced　labour　was　replaced　by　payment　of　rent。　On　Bogutcharovo　a　trained　midwife　had　been　engaged　at　his　expense　to　assist　the　peasant…women　in　childbirth；　and　a　priest；　at　a　fixed　salary；　was　teaching　the　children　of　the　peasants　and　house　servants　to　read　and　write。
Half　his　time　Prince　Andrey　spent　at　Bleak　Hills　with　his　father　and　his　son；　who　was　still　in　the　nursery。　The　other　half　he　passed　at　his　Bogutcharovo　retreat；　as　his　father　called　his　estate。　In　spite　of　the　indifference　to　all　the　external　events　of　the　world　that　he　had　shown　to　Pierre；　he　studiously　followed　them；　received　many　books；　and；　to　his　own　surprise；　when　people　coming　fresh　from　Petersburg；　the　very　vortex　of　life；　visited　him　or　his